SIFE unites University students

SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) NWU recently celebrated the fact that it is currently the only student-driven organisation that exists on all three campuses of the North-West University (NWU).

SIFE started out five years ago on the Potchefstroom Campus, but now also includes members from the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle Campuses of the NWU. The Potchefstroom SIFE team visited the Vaal Triangle Campus at the end of 2008. Twenty-two students were recruited on this occasion, and on 26 March 2009 a further 13 students were recruited during a visit to the Mafikeng Campus. Maribe Mamabolo is currently the President of SIFE NWU, and Charl Muller holds the position of Vice-President.

According to Prof Japie Kroon, programme leader for entrepreneurship in the School of Business Management on the Potchefstroom Campus and faculty advisor for SIFE NWU, the NWU students are committed and concentrate their efforts on improving themselves and the communities they live in. This is done by uniting resources and skills, putting historical differences aside and moving forward together to become a University that truly embraces the pay-off line of the NWU, Innovation through Diversity.

SIFE is a global organisation that functions at 1 600 universities in 47 countries and makes a meaningful contribution towards a better world by influencing the lives of more than 4 million people worldwide. SIFE students address business and economic issues through team projects based on the six pillars of SIFE, namely market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business ethics and sustainability. Students participating in SIFE projects receive a SIFE SA certificate that is very valuable to those seeking employment, as big sponsors and businesses actively recruit SIFE students. Visit the SIFE website for more information: www.sife.org.

The SIFE Potchefstroom Campus team participated in the national SIFE competition in July 2008 and finished third in their division, winning five trophies and the award for Faculty Adviser of the year. The eventual winner was the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The NWU SIFE team is now preparing for the next national competition that will take place in July, and has great hopes to do even better this year with several new projects.

From left to right is Prof Japie Kroon, Potchefstroom Campus Faculty Adviser, and Prof Kobus Cronjé, Faculty Adviser of the Mafikeng Campus. 

Potchefstroom Campus members of SIFE NWU and the latest Mafikeng Campus recruits during their recent visit.